Crazy Catch up...

I don't know what has been going on to prevent me from writing in this thing... oh, right, Ironman training. Seriously. It is an obsession between the nutrition and training and trying to fit in work, it really is ALL I do.

So, a quick version of training and then life.

Training, I am now in Week 15, so nearly halfway through training. I took a swim class, which I HATED and dreaded every week, it was 8:00 - 9:00pm on Thursdays, which is WAY late for me to be out and about. But, it really made a big difference in my swim technique, I am still terrified of the swim and am pretty sure I will end up drowning and/or getting kicked in the face. I have been reading all these blogs on Ironman Swiss and every single one comments about how it is the roughest swim start they have ever experienced and that the course is hard to follow. They also note that the swim caps they hand out are the same color as the bouys you are trying to follow... hopefully that will be different. I swam the full distance in the pool the other day and it felt easy and took about 90 minutes, so I feel like I am at least on the right track. Open water swim is a whole new thing though... I have asked a friend if when it warms up a bit she will come ride along side me in a boat and hit me with a paddle while I swim, so you know, I get used to pain and being lost and confused.

I have been loving riding my bike, the indoor trainer is HARD and I did a few indoor spinning classes that were near impossible, 3 hours... I was dying! I have been on a couple rides in the last few weeks outside and it seems easy after all the indoor training. I rode just under 100km in around 3:50 last Saturday and felt just fine. I am also looking for a weekend/time to go and preview the St. Polten Half Ironman course but, my weekends are booked! I'll get to that later. I'd like to go and get my bike fitted, but I am just so busy! Should make the time though.

Running has been fine. I've noticed that I am working a lot harder on my riding, so my legs are tired for the runs. I am always doing the required amount of time, sometimes a bit more actually, but feel like my legs are pretty heavy. I've been meeting a friend and running in the Prater on Sunday mornings and have been loving that. We'll see, I think I need to start running with people or doing something to make it more entertaining. I used to run with a friend from work, but she has moved back to the States, and I'm realizing how much I miss that! I also added in a third swim so am up to 4 days a week of having afternoon trainings, so would need to find someone that wanted to meet and run at 5:00 in the morning... this will not likely happen.

Nutrition... so I'm still trying to follow the Paleo Diet, but at times it's a bit hard. I just get hungry, it doesn't limit calories or anything, but how much fruit, lean protein and vegetables can a person eat! I just feel like it's not a meal without some grains. I am starting to add in the grains during the Stage 3 of my eating cycle, which just feels like a feeding cycle at the zoo or something. I cheat every now and then. My favorite cheating is that I'm back to my routine Dr. Falafel Saturday. It really is the best thing ever!

Now, the rest of life.

Work, I just can't be bothered to discuss it. It's happening, I go every day and I get my job done.

Travel, have tons of things coming up and went on a great trip to NYC! First, Steve ended up coming back from Thailand early, which has been really nice. I thought he was going to be gone through March, and he ended up back in January. So... I decided to go to NYC and visit my friend Jen and then our friend Heather joined us too. I loved every second of the trip! We walked around, saw Ground Zero, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, celebrated national Margarita Day with the best Mexican Food I have had in ages, went to Top of the Rock, had our 5 seconds of fame in the background of the Today show, ate tons of delicious meals, shopped around, walked around and a highlight for me was running in Central Park. I could not have asked for better weather either! It was absolutely amazing! I also went to Philadelphia and had an amazing time with two friends from Dubai. It's so nice to be able to see people again! I mean, you make great friends abroad, but, realistically could NEVER see them again.

Steph and I recently went and visited our friend Heather in Barcelona for Steph's birthday and St. Patrick's Day. It was amazing! Heather and I spent our time wandering around, shopping a bit, drinking a bit, eating a bit, even had an afternoon on the beach. It was a perfect long weekend! I love Spain and am really hoping to someday be able to pay off all my college debt and find a job in a city that I want to live in that I can train year round in the sun and live on the water... Barcelona, Nice, Italian Riviera, maybe a tropical island... who knows!

Upcoming trips, this is what is crazy. I will be meeting Jess in Turkey on April 7, which I can't wait for! Then April 20 - 22, I am going to Zurich to visit a friend and preview the bike course, next weekend is free in Vienna, then it is a crazy May. The first weekend we are going to Sofia, Bulgaria, then next weekend Budapest, the following week my mom arrives and I have a Half Iron in St. Polten, the next weekend is a driving trip to Croatia, the next is a hiking trip, and then... nothing. As of right now, but who knows! I can't seem to say no to any travel options. Heather and I have already booked Thanksgiving next year! Malta! Crazy.

Life in Vienna... it has been ok. I just don't love it here. I try to find some good things about the city, but I can't. Plenty of good things about my life here, but it is truly a depressing and boring city. You have to work hard to be "ok" here as opposed to having a vibrant and exciting city. Well, that is my opinion of it at least. The weather was great this winter, we had a few weeks of FREEZING cold weather, but for the most part there was NO rain and gray, which is what makes me crazy. So, it's been a blue sky kind of year. I'm loving it!

I have about a zillion things I should be doing, so I guess I'll get to it. And, try to get some pictures up and remember to post more often!